Valve mechanism.



W. K. RANKIN.

VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED APB. 1s, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM K. RANKIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN E.REYBURN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 13, 1910. Serial N0. 555,136.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ValveMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve mechanism,

and its novelty is comprised in the combi! nation of valves whereby aneconomy in the use of steam is gained by caring for leakages andcondensation, and the operation of the main valve in, one direction by apiston wholly by live steam, and in the opposite direction by thecombined use of live steam and a spring.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one means employed for the purposestated, in connection with an air compressor and wherein like parts areindicated by similar reference characters, and in which V Figure 1 is acentral vertical section of the steam and air cylinders. Fig. 2 is anenlarged central section of the relief valve. Fig. 3 is an enlargedcentral section of the auxiliary valve, located in the upper head, ofthe steam cylinder. Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the inlet and outletvalves of the air cylinder.

The steam cylinder 1 is provided with the usual heads 2, 3, and the aircylinder 4 has heads 5, 6. The cylinders have pistons 7, 8,

attached to a common piston rod 9 passing' through stufiing boxes 10, 11with followers 12, 13 and nuts 14, 15. Cylinder 1 has a steam chest 16with steam ports 17, 18 to the cylinder and an exhaust port 19. Steamchest 16 incloses main valve 2O having a stem 21 which adjustablyattaches it to a piston 22 provided with packing rings 23, in acylindrical extension 24 of the steam chest 16. The extension 24 has acover 25 with an integral projection 26 passing inward and acting as astop to piston 22 when the valve 20 is shifted to admit steam to port 17and below piston 7. A spring 27 is confined within projection 26 and itis seated against piston 22 and has an upper cap 28 with an adjustingscrew 29.

Cylinder 1 has an auxiliary valve (see Fig. 3) seated in head 2, thevalve having a cylindrical part 30 extending into cylinder 1, a conicalhead 31 separating a port 32 and a chamber 33, the chamber being closedat the top by a hollow cap 34. A spring 35 is seated between cap'34 andhead 31, and pipe connections 36 lead from chamber 33 to steam chest 16.Port 32 has a pipe connection 37 to a T 38 and a pipe 39 which entersextension 24 above piston 22. From T 38 connections 40 lead to therelief valve in head 3 of cylinder 1.

The relief valve (see Fig. 2) is similar in construction to theauxiliary valve already described, having an interior projection 41,coned head 42, separating a port 43 which leads to the atmosphere fromits chamber 44, a cap 45 and a spring 46.

The compressor cylinder has inlet valves 47 and outlet valves 48 at eachend which may be of any of the usual or preferred forms adapted for thepurpose.

The operation of cylinder 1 and its attachments is as follows. Piston 7being at its lower position, as seen in Fig. 1, and valve 2O in positionto admit pressure from steam chest 16, to port 17 the piston 7 willascend and spring 46 will close they relief valve 41-42. As piston 7nears its upward position it abuts part 30 of auxiliary valve 30-31 andopens the valve to admit pressure from steam chest 16 throughconnections 36 to chamber 33, port 32, connection 37, T 38 andconnection 39 to the interior of extension 24 and against piston 22which vthen coperates with spring 27 to overcome the steam chestpressure opposed on piston 22, and moves valve 20 to open port 18 tolive steam and port 17 to exhaust port 19, reversing the movement ofpiston 7 and allowing auxiliary valve 30,31 to be closed by its spring35 and the pressure from steam chest 16. Live steam now flows fromcylinder 1 through opening 49 and the connections to the interior of theextension 24 to maintain the position of piston 22 and valve 20 andguarding against loss of pressure from condensation or leakage. Reliefvalve 41-42 is opened when piston 7 reaches its downward course, and thepressure in eX-v tension 24 against piston 22 is exhausted throughconnections 38, 39, 40 and port 43 to the atmosphere, thus allowing thesteam chest pressure against piston 22 to overcome spring 27 and shiftvalve 20 to admit pressure to port 17 and again moving piston 7 up. Anyleakage by piston rings 23 being exhausted through connections 37, 39and port 32 to and through opening 49 into cylinder 'l and'its'portsY18, 19'. PistonS coperates with piston 7 and valves 47, 48

automatically admit and discharge the air from cylinder 4. Projection 26and partition limit the movement of piston 22 and valve 20.

I claim: Y

'1. The combination with a cylinder having suitable inlet and exhaustpassages, of a main valve for controlling said passages, a .Chamberhaving movable means mounted therein .connected to said main valve,means for supplying pressure to one yside of said movable means `to movethe same in one direction, resilient means mounted in said chamber andraetingon the opposite side of Said movable .means to assist in movingthe same in the opposite direction, means for Vsupplying pressure ltosaid opposite side of the movable means to assist Lthe'resilient meansin moving ,the same and Ameans for exhaustinfr .the pressure from thesaid o pposite side o 4the movable means.

2. The combination with a cylinder having suitable inlet and exhaustpassages of a main .valve for `controlling said passages, 'of a pistonattached to said valve and operative in one direction whollyby fluidpressure; ia spring opposed to said pressure against .the piston, achamber for the spring; a `piston in the cylinder; a valve to admitpressure to ythe chamber, with connections tothe chamber; a valve toexhaust pressure Vlrorn the chamber, with connections thereto,y

thesefadrnission and exhaust valves being operated by 'the cylinderspiston.

$.43. The combination with a cylinder hav- Ving siiitableV inlet andexhaust passages of a main valve for controlling said passages,with-,means for its movement in one direction by fluid pressure, andmeans for its movement Iin the opposite direction by combined resilient`and fluid pressure; a piston for the cylinder; an auxiliary valveoperated by the cylinders piston, and with a passage to supply fluidpressure to coperate with the resilient pressure to move the main valve;and la reversing valve also operative by the cylinders piston, with apassage to exhaust the 'fluid pressure coperating with the resilientpressure to permit the reversefmovement ofthe main valve. Y

4. The combination with a cylinder having suitable inlet and exhaustpassages of a main valve for controlling said passages,

of a chest forthe valve, an extension of the chest, a 4piston thereinand attached to the valve and subjected tov Huid pressure on its sidenext the valve, a spring in the chests extension and bearing on thevalves piston,

v opposed to pressure from the chest; a piston in the cylinder; anauxiliary valve operated by the upward action of the cylinders piss ton,and having connection to the chests extension, and an opening in thevalve in coinmunication with the cylinder, and whereby when the valvecloses pressure from the .cylinder may still pass to thechestsextension.

5. rlhe Vcombination with a vcylinder having suitable inlet and exhaustpassages of va main valve for controlling said passages, a chestinclosing the valve, a ypiston .adjustably attached to the valve, anextension Aot `the chest inclosing the piston, a spring in Itheextension, bearing'against said piston,'and having means to adjust itspressure .upon the piston, whereon it is seated, ,opposite the mainvalve; a piston in the cylinder; anauxiliary valve opened by thecylinders piston, having connection to `the main valves chest and alsofrom the valve :to the chests extension, and an opening in the reversingvalve whereby when the valve is Closed pressure from the cylinder willflow to the .chest7s extension.

6. The combination with a cylinder having suitable inlet and exhaustpassages of a main valve for controlling said passages, a chest for themain valve, an extension of the chest 'and a piston thereinadjustablyattached to the main valve, a spring in `the extension withadjustable pressure means, said spring being seated upon-the pistonopposite the main valve; means for supplying pressure to the chestsextension a piston in the cylinder; a relief valve opened by thecylind-erspiston, and having connections Ato, the chests extension andto the atmosphere, and whereby the Huid pressure in the chests extensionmay be exhausted to permit the fluid pressure in the main valves chestto overcome the spring in the chests extension and shift the main valve.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAMy K. RANKIN.

Qcpies of'thvis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Washington, ID. C.

Gmmsoner of Patents,

